Goodbye Fremont

The A’s have stopped work on the Fremont ballpark project and the pro-ballpark mayor is talking about it in past tense. The apparent reason is that the Pacific Commons site couldn’t get past the opposition of nearby stores, while local residents hated the alternative of putting the park near BART’s forthcoming Warm Springs station. But other factors are also involved, including the difficult financing climate and Pac Commons’ access problems.

Having read Marine Layer’s coverage over the last few months on New A’s Ballpark Blog, I’d say that attention will now move to downtown San Jose, putting the issue of the Giants’ territorial rights squarely on MLB’s table. Beyond that, the possibilities look pretty grim for Bay Area A’s fans.